Climbing at Vallon Sourn, Chateauvert, April 25th - May 2nd 2009
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"So John, what's this Chateauvert place supposed to be like?"
"Ok"
Have we anywhere to stay yet?"
"Not exactly, the money transfer just bounced"
"What about a car?"
"Working on it"
Saturday April 25th 2009. Cautiously optimistic that we had a car and somewhere to stay, we boarded our BMIBaby plane at East Midlands Airport and took off for sunny Nice. Wow, the sun was shining and yes, we had a limo waiting for us, the Citroen C5 which we all learned to hate. The drive from the airport to Gite La Voûte at Domaine de Montaude took about an hour and a half, shorter had we not missed our turning up a leafy lane off a minor road. See picture 01.
We were welcomed by Roxanne (that's the dog) and Frid and Rogere the owners and led to our accommodation. It turned out to be a renovated cow house but none the worse for that and featured rustic arched plaster ceilings and weathered beams, a large kitchen/diner and two bedrooms. I opted for the sofa bed downstairs to avoid the snorers but had instead to suffer the roar of the fridge every few minutes. 'Can't win em all.
It was an idyllic spot, a collection of renovated farm buildings in an utterly peaceful 150ha loop in the l'Argens river, dotted with woodland and meadows, the river featured a 5m waterfall and swimming pool (untested). It probably wouldn't have been quite so peaceful however, had they not eaten all the birds.
Sunday April 26th. Gloom and doom, it's pouring with rain, the river is in spate and the patio is covered in puddles. How is this possible? We make it a shopping and reading day and by late afternoon the clouds appear to be thinning.
Monday April 27th. Misty but the sun is making brave attempts to dispel it. It's about a 40 minute drive from Gite La Voûte through the small town of Barjols, through Chateauvert to the climbing at Vallon Sourn and the twisty roads, initially quite interesting later became something of a chore for our drivers John and Doug.
The crag turned out to be a bit like a limestone Pant Ifan at Tremadog but with less walking as many of the buttresses started within feet of the roadside. We started on the prominent wall of rock on sector Golot Fou which projected above the trees in slightly intimidating position. The guide book revealed that it sported two 5c, a 5b+ and a 6a which we thought would by ideal as warm-ups. The **** 5c+ Tissu de Corde was too wet and the adjacent Haltes Passageres 5b+ was taken, leaving us Comédie d'un Jour 6a and Goulot Fou 5c. Both were excellent routes up pocketed limestone, quite hard for their grades but not as hard as some, we were to learn later.
The sun broke through and we walked around the corner to sector Indiana Jones where we received a further sandbagging on Le Fil d'Ariane 6a and Indiana Jones 6a+ on which I had to be rescued at a particularly polished and poorly protected section. Oh, the embarrassment, rescued from a 6a+!
Tuesday April 28th. In improving weather and misplaced optimism, we (and much of France) headed for sector L'Ange Bafoué which, according to our guide book contained some amenably graded routes. Nick and I started off on Fortitude 5c and were both defeated by a holdless and bulging mid-section, necessitating a diversion onto the adjacent route. Creve la Dalle at 6a was probably worth 6b and the excellent Kekatols on the Moon at 6a+ with its overhanging headwall would have been worth 6b+ anywhere else.
Picture 06, John and Doug, egos in tatters watch French girls able to chat about their boyfriends whilst executing 6c moves.
Round the corner on sector Kriket, Gerry, John and Doug had discovered the superb 25m Koksinel, a **** 6a which was towards the top end for its grade. This shallow groove line crossed a couple of small roofs, with protection just where it was needed. Picture 02, John at the first bulge.
Suitably chastened by our ability to climb anything above 6a+ we slunk away for some 03 followed by a large 04 and too much wine.
Wednesday April 29th. Sector Liqueur de Chêne, a discrete little pocketed buttress with some easy grades. Hah! Nice climbing though, Bonboudan 5b, Cabessa de Mule 6a, Chipie 5c+, Choupette 5c and Liqueur de Chêne 5c+ but adding a full grade to each one would not have been unreasonable. Picture 05, Gerry on Cabessa de Mule 6a.
Around the corner to the right was sector Les Enfants du Roc, and the route of the same name at 6a provided a splendid exercise in gymnastic moves up an overhanging crack/groove but quite tough at its grade. Right of this was the quaintly named Pog, Pog, Poggers 6a+ which at the grade in Kalymnos we might have climbed as a warm-down route. This one featured a 'bizarre' move on the introductory traverse. Bizarre yes, desperate definitely and beyond this there was no mention that the whole route overhung some 10m. We all agreed that we had climbed 6c that was no harder than this 6a+. Nick led it, we struggled to follow as once the second bolt was unclipped, the rope ran diagonally across the crux. This was probably our biggest sandbagging.
Thursday April 30th. Nick is building up steam for a breakthrough into 6b. Having watched the young ladies perform on the 6bs (climbing that is) and armed with John's clipstick for the first bolt he made a determined attempt at Réveil Matin a *** 6b on sector L'Ange Bafoué and cruised it. We expect nothing less of course, and Gerry was so impressed he redpointed the route after Nick. Picture 07 and in the Gallery Nick on Réveil Matin 6b ***.
My shoulder is giving me increasingly amounts of pain so I opt for Africa Queen 6a+ on the nearby sector Luther King. It looks straight forward without any strenuous shoulder moves, a juggy groove followed by an arête but as soon as I get to grips with it, it turns out to be anything but. The first part is a polished, overhanging groove climbed on finger slots, the top section turns out to be a steep slab with a dire clip where I barndoor off and have to grab the quickdraw to avoid disaster.
Nick follows and on looking round the arete spots a lot more chalk than there is on the slab. Another sandbag.
Friday May 1st. I decide to give my shoulder a rest by having a day off and go for a walk clutching my handy Michelin 1:100000 road map. Almost a disaster. I walked to the pretty village of Correns which went OK as it was on a road, but on heading for the hills, increasing disparity between reality and my map eventually forced a strategic retreat.
On returning to Vallon Sourn I discover that it's May day, the sun is out and France is on holiday and most of them seem to be heading for Vallon Sourn. The roadside and car parks are full, the riverside beach is crowded and the river is full of shrieking children. The grumpies, undeterred, headed for the enormous and overhanging sector Neuromediation to attempt the superclassic Arielle a 38m **** 6a+. This is big boys country and 6a+ is the easiest route there.
By the time I join them the fat lady has sung and it's in the bag, congratulations are in order for Nick, Gerry is seconding it and stripping the gear.
Picture 08. Just another gourmet meal.
Picture 09. Gite La Voûte and Irises.
Picture 10. Climbers on Haltes Passagères 5b+, sector Golot Fou.
Picture 11. Sector Neuromediation.
Picture 12. Unknown climber probably on L'esprit du Rat 6b+, sector Neuromediation.
Picture 13. Paying our dues. L-R John, Doug, Roxanne (dog), Frid, Gerry, Nick.
Picture 14. Lady Orchid Orchis purpurea.
Picture 15. The Grumpies. L-R John Robson, Geoff Douglas, Nick Longland, Gerry Langsley, Chris Jackson.
Summary.
Pros. A beautifully situated crag with virtually no walking. A good range of grades on sound rock.
Cons. Many of the routes will feel undergraded to those more familiar with Greek, Spanish and UK grades. Many of the routes are becoming polished and at weekends and holiday times the crag can be very busy.